New Jack City – East Ridge

New Jack City East Ridge is a small, technical Mojave Desert site off Barstow Road near Lucerne Valley, California. The 1,217 m ridge is only about 50 m high on the west side and the workable soaring band is very small — realistically it holds only one paraglider at a time. Push south to try and climb the ridge and you'll fall out of the good lift band and sink out. Push north to land and you'll cross a spine into another bowl; the lift there is less but the forward penetration is better, so with a steady heading you can fly out with enough height to set up a landing. This is primarily a rock-climbing area with a fringe of flyable air — treat it as an exploratory, one-flight-at-a-time site, not a regular training venue. Wind at 20 feet altitude can already be double the surface reading.

Launch & conditions

The launch is a small area at the south end of the ridge, reached via an old road/path from the elevated parking behind the big rock formation at New Jack City — a 10-minute hike at most. The pad is small and the surroundings are rocky, so rosette-launch skills are desirable to avoid tangled lines. The launch sits in the wind shadow of a smaller ridge in front — expect turbulence for the first metres above the ridge line. Fly in late afternoon as conditions calm down; midday winds are strong and gusty.

Getting there & local rules

From LA, take the I-15 to Barstow, then Barstow Road (Hwy 247) south — GMaps says the northern approach is faster. About 17 miles from the turn-off, hit the high point on the road; the turn-off to New Jack City is a couple of miles further. Left onto a dirt/sand road, past a fenced structure with high-pressure gas main signs. Follow the most well-trodden trails east until you're in the New Jack City Bowl, then trend south to the parking/camping. Landings: north end of the ridge where it meets the New Jack City road has sandy areas and clean air; alternatively push east from the ridge to hit larger road intersections. Aim to kill the wing with a 90° turn on landing to avoid dragging through brush.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to New Jack City – East Ridge, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open New Jack City – East Ridge with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.